The Pillow Book (1996)

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writers:

Sei Shonagon (book)
Peter Greenaway (written by)

Release Date:

6 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Things that make the heart beat faster.

Plot:

As a young girl in Japan, Nagiko's father paints characters on her face, and her aunt reads to her from "The Pillow Book"...

Plot Keywords:

Book | Writing On Body | Japan | 10th Century | Diary

Awards:

5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Vivian Wu	...	Nagiko
Yoshi Oida	...	The Publisher
Ken Ogata	...	The Father
Hideko Yoshida	...	The Aunt / The Maid
Ewan McGregor	...	Jerome
Judy Ongg	...	The Mother
Ken Mitsuishi	...	The Husband
Yutaka Honda	...	Hoki
Barbara Lott	...	Jerome's Mother
Miwako Kawai	...	Young Nagiko
Lynne Langdon	...	Jerome's sister (as Lynne Frances Wachendorfer)
Chizuru Ohnishi	...	Young Nagiko
Shiho Takamatsu	...	Young Nagiko
Aki Ishimaru	...	Young Nagiko
Hisashi Hidaka	...	Calligrapher
Dehong Chen	...	Calligrapher
Ham-Chau Luong	...	Calligrapher (as Ham Cham Luong)
Akihiko Nishida	...	Calligrapher (as Akihiro Nishida)
Kentaro Matsuo	...	Calligrapher
Nguyen Duc Nhan	...	Calligrapher
Augusto Aristotle	...	Calligrapher
Roger To Thanh Hien	...	Calligrapher
Chris Bearne	...	Calligrapher
Ronald Guttman	...	Calligrapher
Wichert Dromkert	...	The Book of the Innocent
Martin Tukker	...	The Book of the Idiot
Wu Wei	...	The Book of Old Age
Tom Kane	...	The Book of the Exhibitionist
Kheim Lam	...	The Book of the Seducer
Daishi Hori	...	The Book of Youth
Kinya Tsuruyama	...	The Book of Secrets
Eiichi Tanaka	...	The Book of the Betrayer
Rick Waney	...	The Book of Silence
Masaru Matsuda	...	The Book of Birth and Beginnings
Wataru Murofushi	...	The Book of the Dead
Ryuke Azuma	...	Grandmother
Seitaro Koyama	...	Nephew
Tatsuya Kimura	...	Nephew
Yoshihiko Nagata	...	Husband's Friend
Atsushi Miura	...	Husband's Friend
Kazushi Ishimaru	...	Baby Nagiko
Hikari Abe	...	Nagiko's Baby
Ai Kanafuji	...	Nagiko's Friend
Yoshino Yoshioka	...	Nagiko's Friend
Yuki Nou	...	Nagiko's Friend
Masami Nishio	...	Nagiko's Friend
Satomi Kimura	...	Nagiko's Friend
Michiko Matsuo	...	Nagiko's Friend
Kintaro Murayama	...	Nagiko's Friend
Ann
Kaoru Ueda	...	Model
Ohko	...	Model
Junko Shinohara	...	Model
Yûko Nozawa	...	Model (as Yuko Nozawa)
Kiyomi Nomura	...	Model
Midori Hatsuda	...	Model
Miwa Hayashi	...	Model
Seizo H. Inoue	...	10th Century Man (as Seizo Inoue)
Yoshihiro Kawai	...	10th Century Man
Munenari Takeshima	...	10th Century Man
Toshio Kimura	...	10th Century Man
Masakazu Takemura	...	10th Century Man
Hiroshi Nakajima	...	10th Century Man
Kageyoshi Shirakata	...	10th Century Man
Takashi Miyake	...	10th Century Man
Hiroko Uno	...	10th Century Woman
Yûko Shimomura	...	10th Century Woman (as Yuko Shimomura)
Kana Haraguchi	...	10th Century Woman
Yuri Inoue	...	10th Century Woman
Makiko Shoji	...	10th Century Woman
Miwako Namie	...	10th Century Woman
Atsuko Nakamura	...	10th Century Woman
Tokiko Horiike	...	10th Century Woman
Akiko Yokotani	...	10th Century Woman
Yasuyo Ogawa	...	10th Century Woman
Atsuko Yoshikawa	...	10th Century Woman
Mariko Ajimoto	...	10th Century Woman
Hiromi Tani	...	10th Century Woman
Fukue Kitaoka	...	10th Century Woman
Arnita Swanson	...	Edele (as Arnita C. Swanson)
Jim Adhi Limas	...	Man in Lift
Miho Tanaka	...	Model Friend in Cafe Typo
Fabienne De Marco	...	Model Friend in Cafe Typo
Tania De Jaeger	...	Model Friend in Cafe Typo
Jinhua Lu	...	Wife of Calligrapher
Tien Sing Wang	...	Intruder
Chau
See Wah Leung	...	Intruder
Kha
Kumi Komino	...	Elderly Secretary
Yuki Hayashi	...	Young Female Secretary
Maskai Taketani	...	Young Male Secretary
Mr. Luo
Mrs. Luo
See Yan Leung	...	Bookshop Manager
François Van Den Bergen	...	Book of Seducer (as Francois Van Den Bergen)
Valerie Buchanan		(as Valerie Buchanon)
Yorks Tong
Anna Chu
C.S. Wong
Michelle Nicholson	...	Model (as Michelle Leigh Nicholson)
Farini Cheung		(as Farini Chang)
Anita Leung Fui Shan
Tom Tom
Doris Lui Lai Fong
Sam
Shuen Ngar Lei
Chan Ben
Bobsy Jureidini
Andrew Chan
Vanessa Lanza
Chau Kwok Kwan
Ho Keung Kwong
Sammuel Leung
Jo Jo Hui
Louis Fu Yiu Shi
Paul Wan
Adrian Kwan Shun Fai
Leung Woo
Hui Pak Kin
Man Kit		(as Tony Wong Man Kit)
Foon Wing Hong
Li Chun Man
Stephen C. Lam
Edelmer Christanse
Jimmy Lee Wai Chang
Terence Tsin Chung Tung
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mennan Yapo	...	Café Typo Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Greenaway

Writing credits
Sei Shonagon		(book)
Peter Greenaway		(written by)

Produced by
Terry Glinwood	....	executive producer
Kees Kasander	....	producer
Jessinta Liu	....	line producer: Hong Kong
Jean-Louis Piel	....	executive producer
Tom Reeve	....	executive producer
Denis Wigman	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Sacha Vierny

Film Editing by
Peter Greenaway
Chris Wyatt

Casting by
Abi Cohen
Hitomi Ishihara
Aimi O
Carrie O'Brien
Liora Reich

Production Design by
Koichi Hamamura
Willemijn Loivers
Hiroto Oonogi
Andrée Putman
Noriyuki Tanaka
Wilbert Van Dorp		(as Wilbert van Dorp)

Costume Design by
Martin Margiela
Dien van Straalen
Koji Tatsuno

Makeup Department
Seiji Arai	....	makeup artist
Cathy Folmer	....	makeup artist
Shoko Ishigaki	....	makeup artist
Sara Meerman	....	makeup artist
Vivian Nowak	....	makeup artist (as Vivian Nowack)
Noriko Sato	....	makeup artist
Kyôko Toyokawa	....	makeup artist (as Kyoko Toyokawa)

Production Management
Katsumi Furuhashi	....	unit production manager
Misako Furukawa	....	unit production manager
Yumiko Miwa	....	unit production manager
Fiona Nottingham	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Cheung	....	assistant director
Koji Kobayashi	....	assistant director
Shun-fai Kwan	....	assistant director
Kenji Nakanishi	....	assistant director
Aimi O	....	second assistant director
Vincent Rivier	....	assistant director

Art Department
Second Chan	....	assistant art director
Lau Wai Chung	....	art department
Do Demuth	....	painter
Vincent de Pater	....	assistant art director (as Vincent De Pater)
Thierry Gratien	....	constructor
Lijntje Helweg	....	property master
Lijntje Helweg	....	set dresser
Lau Wai Hung	....	art department
Elmer Jacobs	....	constructor
Chan Yau Kong	....	art department
Wong Mai Ming	....	property master
Wong Mai Ming	....	set dresser
Law Tak Nga	....	art department
Lau Kwok On	....	art department
David Peters	....	constructor
Maarten Piersma	....	constructor
Kazunori Sawaji	....	art department
Danielle Schilling	....	property master
Danielle Schilling	....	set dresser
Wong Kwong Shing	....	art department
Otfried Suppin	....	art department assistant
Mari Tobita	....	art department
Claudia Valentijn	....	painter
Dione van der Hoeven	....	property master (as Dione Van Der Hoeven)
Dione van der Hoeven	....	set dresser (as Dione Van Der Hoeven)
Dory van Noort	....	constructor (as Dory Van Noort)
Floris Vos	....	art department
Emi Wada	....	production designer: Japan
Ben Zuydwijk	....	painter (as Ben Zuidwijk)

Sound Department
James Feltham	....	assistant sound editor
Kazunori Fujimaru	....	boom operator
Nigel Heath	....	post-production sound
Rod Howick	....	foley editor
Cliff Jones	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mathew Knights	....	dialogue editor
Garth Marshall	....	production sound
Kan Shirai	....	boom operator
Julian Slater	....	sound effects editor
Volker Zeigermann	....	boom operator
Richard Pryke	....	assistant re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Otto Snel	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Reinier van Brummelen	....	special lighting effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Billy Chan	....	lighting electrician
Andy Cheng	....	lighting electrician
Arnout Glas	....	lighting electrician
Marc Guillaumot	....	still photographer
Wong Lap Hee	....	clapper loader
Kazunori Hirasawa	....	focus puller
Tomoka Izumi	....	clapper loader
Kees Kroese	....	rigger
Cristian Lux	....	lighting electrician
Vincent Mathias	....	focus puller
Gilles Mathony	....	lighting electrician
Shinya Morishita	....	lighting electrician
Dirk Nijland	....	grip
Tatsuo Shima	....	lighting electrician
Benito Strangio	....	camera operator
Wong Si Wah	....	lighting electrician
Lee Chi Wai	....	lighting electrician
Nelson Yu Lik-wai	....	clapper loader (as Nelson Yu)

Casting Department
Véronique Demaret	....	casting assistant
Cathy Lill	....	casting assistant
Madoka Matsuo	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nagahiro Ebara	....	costumer
Mariella Kallenberg	....	costumer
Isao Nomura	....	costumer
Emi Wada	....	costume designer: Japan
Lucy Wei	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Trevor Brown	....	colorist
Boris Trentelman	....	grader

Music Department
Ron Korb	....	musician: flutes

Other crew
Kazuko Aba	....	breast-feeding double: Vivian Wu
Bob Bellion	....	accountant
Marco Del Zotto	....	production crew
Bob Feltgen	....	location manager
Lydia Gonzalez	....	accountant (as Lydie Gonzalez)
Agathe Grau	....	continuity
Debby de Jong	....	production coordinator (as Debby De Jong)
Kay Kimura	....	production crew
Eliza Poklewski Koziell	....	assistant to director
Eliza Liu	....	accountant
Yuriko Mameshiro	....	production coordinator: Japan
Junko Matsumori	....	pregnant double: Vivian Wu
Charles Mcdonald	....	publicist (as Charles McDonald)
Yves Mond	....	production crew
Brody Neuenschwander	....	calligrapher
Chika Ogura	....	script translator
Mario Paolinelli	....	dialogue (Italian version)
Joel Reid	....	production crew
Takahiro Sasaki	....	production crew
Yoshiko Tanaka	....	production crew
Jeremy Thomas	....	production crew
Masatoshi Tojo	....	production crew
Yuk Ching To	....	location manager (as Maggie To)
Trix van Alphen	....	publicist
Elly Verduyckt	....	additional script continuity
Michael 'Indy' Whiting	....	production crew (as Michael Whiting)
Marc Wouters	....	location manager
Susanna Wyatt	....	production accountant
Yukki Yaura	....	calligrapher

Thanks
Edith Cheung	....	special thanks
Tracy Harper	....	special thanks
Graham V. Hartstone	....	special thanks (as Graham Hartstone)
Justin Moyle	....	special thanks
Otto Snel	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Kasander & Wigman Productions
• Alpha Films
• Studio Canal
• Channel Four Films (in association with)
• Delux Productions (in association with)
• Eurimages (support) (as Eurimages Fund of the Council of Europe)
• Nederlands Fonds voor de Film (support)

Distributors

• Ace Pictures (1997) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Ciné 360 (1997) (Canada) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Pyramide Distribution (1996) (France) (theatrical)
• C-Sales (1997) (Netherlands) (video)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1997) (USA) (subtitled)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Nuevo Mundo Visión S.A. (Spain)
• PFED (Netherlands)
• Rialto Entertainment (1996) (Australia) (DVD)
• Studio Canal (2008) (France) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Coutts & CO  bank services
• Delux Productions  line producer
• Film Finance  completion bond
• Image Creations  optical effects
• Italian Travel  travel services
• McDonald and Rutter  publicity
• Noll Associates  line producer
• Paul Smith  costumes: for Jerome
• Riverdrive Productions  line producer
• Salon Productions  editing equipment
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Singel Film  lights provided by
• Technovision France  camera equipment provided by
• Telefilm Video Services  telecine transfers

Also Known As:

The Pillow Book (France)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

France | UK | Netherlands | Luxembourg

Language:

English | Cantonese | Italian | Japanese | Mandarin | French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:18A | Singapore:R(A) (cut) | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | France:-12 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:III | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | UK:18 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Kasander & Wigman Productions

Trivia:

The keeping of pillow books to record poems, secrets, and encounters with lovers was a common practice of noble women in Heian Japan. Although its content is unrelated to the film, a famous example was written by Sei Shonagon at about the same time as Lady Murasaki's The Tale of Genji which has the honor of being the world's first novel. In fact, it has been said that Sei Shonogon and Lady Murasaki were rivals in the court of Heian.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Mike visible during wide shot when Nagiko kneels and Jerome signs his name on her back. 01:03:59 into the film on PAL DVDs.

Quotes:

The Aunt: This is a book written a long time ago. It is called The Pillow Book and written by a lady who has the same first name as you - Nagiko. When you are twenty-eight years old this book will be exactly a thousand years old. Think of that.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Deed Poll (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Suiren

Indescribable

God, what words to use when trying to describe this film!!! Exotic, erotic??? Those are obvious choices that pop right up. Quite a bit of this film is spoken in Japanese, and I usually hate films with subtitles, yet I loved THE PILLOW BOOK. It is sensual, delicate and beautifully executed. The music is mysterious and sexy. The way it is filmed is pure art, like the unfolding of the pages of the book it's about. Nagiko (Vivian Wu) is trying to publish a book written in caligraphy but is rejected. Looking for someone with perfect skin, she decides to use the method of writing her caligraphy onto human skin the way her father did when she was a girl. There is plenty of naked Ewan McGregor to behold, and he gives a fine...ahem...acting performance also!!! Of course this film won't appeal to just anyone, but if you're in the mood for a visually striking, colorful, cultural piece of art film, try this one out.